With a standardized format, the electronic transmission of this data is more accurate and more efficient than sending paper files or files in a format that is difficult to upload. The manual labor involved in hand-entering this information leads to opportunities for errors or delays in getting the new prices in the hands of the distributor. Using PPIF means that the same type of information is transmitted in the same manner and in the same format every time, so the upload process is just a few clicks rather than thousands of keystrokes.
Designed to supersede both ANSI X.12 832 and custom manufacturer pricing formats, the PPIF is a single-format, single-program system that can be easily installed and used by manufacturers, distributors, and OEMs. The ASCII format eliminates the need for significant software expenditure by users and may be transmitted via mail, e-mail, or the Internet.
One way to greater savings: The PPIF reduces the cost of creating, transmitting, and uploading updates.
One way to improve accuracy: By eliminating the need for manual re-keying by distributors, the PPIF ensures accuracy and reduces the time to upload and implement updates.
One way to enhanced efficiency: The PPIF allows manufacturers to supply and distributors to receive price updates in a single standardized format, dramatically reducing transaction costs and improving channel efficiency.
Update: Version 2.6 released & effective April 12, 2019
A joint task force of the Power Transmission Distributors Association and the Bearing Specialists Association approved a revision to the widely used Product & Price Information Format (PPIF) version 2.5 to add an optional Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) field.
Many manufacturers have raised awareness of the need to support brand value, local distributor value, and inventory as well as the need to minimize the concern of pricing abuse, i.e. special privileges for OEM resale. Therefore, an optional field has been added to the PPIF where a supplier can provide the MAP for each product. PPIF version 2.6, released April 12, 2019, is also effective as of April 12, 2019.